The 5 Developments We Need To See in Star Wars Episode 8

You are the Princess Shireen of the House Baratheon, and you are my daughter.

If you've not seen Star Wars 7: The Force Awakens yet, don't freak out - you can still read this article without spoiling yourself. Call it my belated Christmas present to you. There are a few minor (like, super minor) spoilers about character motivations or screen time but that's basically it.

Of course, you have seen The Force Awakens, because you're a good fan. Ready? Great: here are five developments we'd like to see from Star Wars Episode 8: Vague Subtitle That Will Make the Internet Explode.

1. General Leia Organa

There are few women in sci-fi - none, in fact, except perhaps for Ellen Ripley - as iconic as Princess Leia - or rather, General Leia - and her age now gives her an air of grandeur that didn't exist before, making the character feel utterly essential to the efforts of the Resistance.

It's fair to say that her screentime in The Force Awakens was not expansive. We wanted more. Especially because what we did get popped with history and nostalgia. Of course Carrie Fisher will be back in Episode VIII, but this time it needs to be a bigger role, something more crucial to the plot.

2. More Phasma

On a similar note, after the hype constructed around Gwendoline Christie's role as Captain Phasma, she felt under-utilised in The Force Awakens. Phasma is meant to be badass - her armour is plated with chromium taken from Palpatine's yacht on Naboo - but we haven't seen much of it in evidence.

A more choreographed one on one fight scene with one of our heroes would help make Phasma as awesome as her armour.

3. Bring back Lando!

As spine-tingling as it was to see our three original heroes back where they belong, other favourites have yet to be reintroduced. Like Lando. Don't get me wrong, not everybody needs to be brought back, but Lando was as much a part of Episodes V and VI as Boba Fett - and he's getting his own spin-off.

Billy Dee Williams is well up for it, so what are you waiting for, Kathleen Kennedy?

4. She's Just Rey From the Block...

Just shy of "did Luke go to the dark side?", the most frequently asked question across the internets prior to Force Awakens' release was "Is Rey a Skywalker?!". And it's not too much of a spoiler to say that this particular issue has not yet been resolved, even if a few almost-hints were dropped (that could just as easily be red herrings).

I don't care if Rey is a Skywalker, but I do need to know where she came from. What's her origin story? There's plenty of time for this one to play out. Of particular note is how quickly she seemed to adapt to her new adventure, suggesting some previous history perhaps suppressed in memory...

5. The Evolution of Kylo Ren

Considering that Kylo Ren is in many ways the reverse Anakin (very light spoilers ahead!), desperately trying to be bad despite the fact that this his heart doesn't quite seem to be in, the big question of what's motivating him is something that should be addressed in Episode 8.

A bonus question: what became of the Knights of Ren? Did Kylo take their name because he's the only one left? Did the rest of the Knights wield equal power or were they merely an entourage Kylo no longer had any use for?

Presumably all of these questions any many more will be dealt with in episodes VIII and IX, but there's a long way to go 'til then. In the meantime, keep speculating and share any of your thoughts in the comments.

Star Wars Episode VIII, written and directed by Looper's Rian Johnson, is scheduled for release on May 26, 2017.